The Best Buttermilk Pancakes!

After a long stay in Greece where breakfast is usually fresh bread from the bakery, graviera (fabulous Greek sheep's milk cheese), fresh fruit like watermelon, figs, melon, you get the picture, I usually have an uncontrolled urge for pancakes!

You know, my dad had a restaurant when I was a kid. It was called Greg's Hamburger Heaven and he made the best pancakes ever! So now that he's no longer here to make them for me, I always feel like he's with me when I'm making them.

And yes, I've seriously toyed with the idea of going to my local diner and letting them present me with a plate of those beautifully comforting griddle cakes, but every time in the past that I did, I have been disappointed. The pancakes are usually undercooked and do not have the flavor I crave.

And so, here I was on Sunday morning ready with my buttermilk to make my own, favorite recipe for Stelios and me. He's not a big pancake eater but he's pretty happy when I make them a couple of times a year.

So what's so special about these pancakes you might ask? First of all, the buttermilk makes them fluffy on the inside and nice and toasted on the outside. Also, the vanilla gives a wonderful flavor and aroma that transports me to heaven.

The other reason why I love to make them at home is that I can top them with all the goodies that I love.

I like to slice some banana on top, add a tablespoon of strawberry and rhubarb compote that I made earlier in the summer.

 I then sprinkle some walnuts or any other nuts I may have in the house for crunch on top.

Then, I add just little bit of maple syrup, unlike my husband who likes to pour it on! In either way, they come out fabulous and satisfy that craving every time.

For those of you, who like me, want your pancakes fluffy and delicious, here's the recipe:

Buttermilk Pancakes

1 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon BP
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup low fat buttermilk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large egg lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla

Light your oven to low. Place a plate inside.

Combine the flour, sugar, BP, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Whisk together to mix.
Combine the buttermilk, oil, egg and vanilla in a small bow. Whisk to mix.
Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix with a spoon. Do not overmix. The batter will be a little thick.

Grease a griddle with a little canola oil or butter and set it over medium heat on the stove. Once it's hot, spoon some batter and form your pancakes. Make sure you don't put too much because the batter will spread.

Give the pancakes a minute and when they make little bubbles on top, carefully flip them over. By the time you flip the last one the first one should be ready.

Remove the pancakes and place them on the warming dish in the oven. Repeat with the remaining batter.I usually make 8 pancakes from this recipe. Any leftovers, if there ever can be, can be kept in the refrigerator for a day or two and rewarmed in the toaster oven or the microwave.

Top with a dab of butter, your favorite fruit, nuts and syrup. Another thing we usually do is top them with a fried egg! Yum! Here's to you dad!

All you need is a cup of coffee and you're on your way to heaven.

Enjoy!

Maria

Prickly Pears, Figs and the Bounty of the Greek Country Side

Some of the most succulent fruit of the Greek countryside ripens in August while I'm there.

The abundance of figs right off the tree in the morning...

or prickly pears picked off a cactus bush in an abandoned lot...

 can make me weep!!

 I learned how to clean the prickly pears as a child from my grandfather

and I can't wait until the fruit is ready to be picked, cleaned and eaten!

I had my fill this summer and these photographs make me very nostalgic for the season past.

The mountains of perfectly ripe tomatoes,

beautiful eggplant,

day old eggs,

fish,

and colorful grapes made my stay in Greece delicious and colorful.

Varieties of olives and fish show me that biodiversity is alive and well in Greece.

Here's to a tasty summer and looking forward to a beautiful fall!

Enjoy!

Maria

Maria's Greens and Squash Blossom Salad

It was an early fall day in Saronida. The clouds framed the sky and there was electricity in the air.

And yet, as dramatic as that was, I still had to figure out what we were going to have for lunch!

I rummaged through my fridge and pulled out an assortment of things. Each of them separately would not make a meal, but, I knew that if I put them together we would lunch in happiness!

I arrayed the steamed greens on one side of the platter. Then, I placed the steamed zucchini next to it. With the chopped arugula they made the first layer on my platter.

 I sautéed in olive oil the zucchini blossoms I had removed from the tiny zucchinis.

 I then proceeded to build my salad from the ground up one layer at a time.

 I added the chopped cucumbers, the beautiful sliced tomatoes, the chopped red pepper.

As a last layer I added the blossom flowers and a quartered boiled egg. Add some fresh pepper and drizzle with a dressing of mustard, olive oil and vinegar.

Voila! You have a magnificent salad that hits all the high spots. Of course, you must accompany it with some Greek beer and bread!

Enjoy!

Maria

Athens Embassy Archangel Book Presentation

I can't thank enough the Ambassador of Cyprus to Athens, Mr. Kenevezos, Mrs. Maria Panagidou, Cultural Counsellor and the entire staff of the House of Cyprus for their hospitality in this presentation.

People gathered on this fall evening to enjoy a presentation of Archangel and a reading by the wonderful actress, Evelina Arapidi.

 Mrs. Maria Panagidou

 Mrs. Evelina Arapidi during her stirring rendition of passages from Archangel.

 Signing Books

 Evelina and the author

Ambassador Kenevezos congratulating us.

Stelios, my rock, sitting next to the daughter of a dear childhood friend.

 Describing the mosaic.

 Stelios' family came in force!

It was a special evening and I will always be in debt to the people who worked hard to make it happen!

Thank you

Maria